Takin' Back My Love
by Agent Henry
Summary: It takes a huge fight to find out where they stand with each other


**A/N: New one-shot based loosely on the song Takin' Back My Love by Enrique Iglesias and Ciara, hence the title. Please read, review, enjoy!**

_**If I had nothing, would you want me the same?  
**You keep your money, take it all away_

Screaming and shouting, crashing and smashing was all that could be heard inside the apartment.

"I can't stand this anymore!"

"Can't stand what? What exactly have I done, Draco? Tell me because I am dying to know!"

Draco threw his hands into his hair and scrunched them into fists. He started pacing up and down, pulling his hair until the pain became too much and he had to let go.

This all started because of his so-called friends. Not Blaise Zabini or Theo Nott, no, they accepted the relationship Draco had with Hermione. It was the others; Vince Crabbe, Greg Goyle, Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson. They still didn't like Hermione or her friends, still wanted them to break up. Every time he saw them, they always had a new story about Hermione to tell him and give him reasons to dump her. Even Draco's parents had accepted it and they got along. It took a lot for both Hermione and Lucius but now he would talk about her like she was family. So why couldn't they? Draco was sick of it. Today, Draco snapped.

"Everything!" he yelled at her.

"What is that supposed to mean? What are you talking about?" she screamed back.

"I'm talking about your designer clothes and your expensive jewellery," Draco listed them with his fingers, "I'm talking about things you've bought for this apartment that we NEVER use. I'm talking about all the times I have wanted to be with you, I took time off work or said no to going out with my friends to be with you but you blow me off because you're busy or tired but when Ginny calls to go shopping, you are out the door." Draco stopped yelling, and spoke the last sentence calmly, which made it worse, harsher, "I'm talking about the fact that I never see you, but my wallet sure does."

"How dare you accuse me of being a gold-digger. I don't care about your money and I'm not with you for your money. What you're saying is just ludicrous," Hermione was far from angry, she was furious. How dare he? Did Draco not know her at all?

Draco's tone was mocking, "you don't care about my money?" Hermione shook her head, no, "you don't care about all the expensive shit you bought?"

"No!"

Draco laughed, "good. Then you don't care about this," it was a glass bowl. He pushed it onto the floor, smashing it to pieces. The noise caused Hermione to jump. Draco moved to a table, "you don't care about this vase." He pushed that to the floor too. "You don't care about any of this!" He took out his wand and, without even a word, the whole living room blew up. Hermione screamed and covered her face. Glass was smashed, feathers from the cushions filled the room like fog and fell down like snow. The entire room was destroyed.

Draco walked over to Hermione and gently brought her face to his, "now tell me you don't care."

She looked at him, tears in her eyes, "I can't believe you did that. You destroyed our house."

"That doesn't really help your argument," he replied as he walked away and turned his back on her.

"So what are you going to do? Walk out? Leave me? All because you believe your friends over your girlfriend?" Hermione was actually crying now.

Draco turned around, "they lie and cheat about everything, I don't believe a fucking thing they say. I believe what I can see and what I see is you spending my money. So, no, I'm not leaving you because of them."

"But you're still leaving me?" she asked wiping the tears away.

"No. I don't know. We just need a break, we need to get away from each other for a while and calm down before we do something we regret." Draco got his jacket and opened the door. "I love you Hermione but, right now, I don't know if it's enough anymore." Draco walked out.

Their neighbour, who had come out when she heard the screaming, was standing by her front door. "Is everything alright? Draco?"

"Now is not the time!" Draco yelled at her, "just keep out and leave us alone!" He pushed past a guy walking their way and got in the elevator just before it closed. The neighbour had been so busy watching Draco go that she didn't notice Hermione come out.

_He's usually always so polite, _she thought, _what has been happening between them lately. _She turned back to where Draco had been to see Hermione. Hermione shut the door before the neighbour was able to see the damage inside."Are you ok, dear?"

"I'm fine," Hermione tried to assure her. "Really," she added, when her neighbour showed she didn't believe her.

"Could you do something for me please?" Hermione asked her.

"Of course. Anything."

Hermione wiped the tears from her face, "you don't need to go in, but could you watch the flat. If anyone comes looking for Draco or I, could you tell them we've gone away for a while?"

The neighbour nodded, " yes. Where are you going to go?"

"To stay with friends for a bit. We don't know when we'll be back." That brought new tears to Hermione. When would they come back? Will Draco come back? "Thank you, Ms Thompson. I have to go." Hermione ran to the elevator and was glad it came so quickly. She got in and cried silently to herself.

xXx

Draco slammed the door of Malfoy Manor shut, walked into the lounge and fell into the couch, where he covered his face in his hands.

"Draco? Darling, is that you?" his mother, Narcissa, called when she heard the door slam. She came into the lounge. "Oh, Draco, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he replied, his hands not leaving his face. "Just leave."

"No," she ignored what he said and wrapped her hands around her son's, pulling them away from his face. His hands eventually moved, whether it was because she was that little bit stronger today or because he just gave up, they didn't know, and she saw the tears he had been trying to hide from her, tears he had tried to stop from falling. "Draco what is it?"

He wiped the tears away, "I think I may have left Hermione."

"What? Why would you do that?"

"I'm so sick of people telling me things about her I don't like and never seeing her and her always out shopping. It just built and built up inside me and I couldn't take it anymore. I snapped and I yelled and I blew up the apartment. I told her we needed a break and I left," Draco ended his speech by putting his head back in his hands.

Narcissa listened and nodded and after a few minutes, she spoke, "but you didn't actually tell her it was over?" Draco shook his head, no, "then this can still be fixed," she told him.

"How?"

His mother explained what she was thinking, "take a couple of days to calm down, then meet and talk about the things that have gone wrong, without yelling, and ways to make them right. Change what you're doing in your relationship now to make it better and stronger. And apologise for yelling and destroying the house."

Draco studied his mother curiously, "when did you become a shrink?"

Narcissa just shrugged, "I'm married to Lucius Malfoy; I know everything there is to know about relationships and how to make them better. If I didn't I'd have divorced him years ago."

"Interesting."

Narcissa touched her son's shoulder gently, "take a couple of days to calm down, then talk to her. OK?"

Draco nodded.

xXx

Hermione banged on the door; it wasn't that late, the kids would still be up. Ginny opened it. "Hermione! What's wrong?"

"Can I stay here for a bit?"

"Of course," Ginny said. She opened the door wider to allow her friend in.

"Gin who is it?" Harry asked from the kitchen. He left James and Albus to their tea and came into the lounge where Ginny and Hermione now sat. He saw her tear-stained face, "shit, Hermione, what's wrong?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes, "Harry."

"It's not like the boys are in the room."

"Not the point."

Harry held his hands up in surrender, "sorry," he sat down next to Hermione, "what's wrong?" New tears came as Hermione told them what had happened. "That dick - sorry Gin but he is - for accusing you of that. I'll kill him. Do you know where he went?"

Hermione shook her head, "no. He could have gone to his parents or to Blaise's or Theo's. He could have gone to his chateau in France or his beach house in Malibu, I have no idea. He can very spontaneous, it's one of the things I love about him."

"He has a beach house in Malibu?" Harry asked, wide-eyed. Hermione nodded. "It doesn't matter, I'll find him."

Harry tried to get up but Hermione grabbed his arm and stopped him, "no you won't, you'll leave him alone."

"What if I just threaten him then bring him back here to talk to you?"

Hermione and Ginny shared a look before the both shook their heads, "no Harry, we don't trust you," Ginny told him.

"What if he's right," Hermione asked after a moment of silence.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

Hermione took a deep breath, "now that I think about it, I have spent a lot of time out shopping, more than usual and each time I seem to spend longer out there. I never see Draco any more. Plus I seem to be buying things I don't even really need just because I like it or because I can. What if I have become a gold-digger, I just never realised it until he said it?"

Harry and Ginny put a hand on each of Hermione's shoulder, "do you love Draco for who he is or his wealth? Ginny asked.

"Who he is," was Hermione's instant reply.

"And would you still love him even if he had no money," Came Harry's voice.

Hermione didn't even have to think for an answer, "of course I would."

They smiled at her, "then you are not a gold-digger."

"Then, please, explain the shopping, "Hermione asked desperately.

Harry hugged her, "you grew up with a family who got an average pay and steady income. It's unusual to be around money and wealthy living now, you still just have to get use to it that's all."

Hermione smiled, "is that what it was like for you when you found out you had money?"

Harry scoffed, "no I never cared. It was what it was like for Ginny when we first started going out, wasn't it honey?"

Ginny glared, "maybe you should go check on the boys."

Harry stopped smiling, "going." He left mumbling, "I can't believe Draco has a Malibu beach house. We've been friends for over five years now and I never knew."

Hermione and Ginny heard him and laughed when he was gone, "you obviously didn't tell Harry that when you two went away and had Draco and I baby sit a few months ago that we took the boys there."

Ginny shook her head, "I just didn't know how to tell him."

xXx

Draco spent most of the next day in bed but didn't sleep, he pretended when his mother came in to check on him but he couldn't keep up with it all day and he knew it. He eventually got up, dressed and came down to the kitchen. He made a cup of coffee and turned to see his mother, "hello mum."

Narcissa didn't bother to say hello back, she knew Draco knew she wanted to say something and decided to just say it, "you have a visitor Draco."

"Really? Who?" he hoped, more than anything, it would be Hermione.

"He's in the lounge."

Draco's hopes were gone in an instant. _He?_ Draco walked into the lounge and glared when he saw who it was.

"Fuck off Goyle," he turned to leave.

"Wait! Draco, please."

He turned around, "what?"

Goyle shifted uncomfortably and coughed, "I heard you and Granger got into a fight."

Draco's eyes narrowed, "how?"

"Pansy. She went to see you and saw you storm out of the building, Granger - I mean Hermione - came out not long after. Pansy went up to your apartment and your neighbour came out to say you were staying with friends. Pansy talked to her for a while. Your fight could be heard a couple of floors down. It must have been a big one."

"What do you care? You may have gotten what you and the others want."

"If you think I want to see you unhappy then you don't know me as much as I thought you did. I admit I'm not fond of Hermione, I mean would you if all she did was correct or yell at you every time you saw her? But she loves you and you love her and I would never get between you. Yes, I might as well be by not saying anything to stop the others but I never say anything bad about her," Goyle stopped his speech and took a deep breath to calm down.

"I came here to tell you I'm sorry Draco and to warn you."

"Warn me? About what?" Draco looked confused.

"Pansy and Daphne. They are working together to try and break up you and Hermione and getting Crabbe involved wasn't hard, just by using the fact that he doesn't like her was enough. You can't let them win, "Goyle explained, "your life will only get worse if that happened. They both want you and they will end up fighting each other to try and get you. They'll never quit if your single. Yesterday they were talking of giving up until Pansy heard about your fight. Work things out with Hermione and do it quickly. Besides it seems you belong with Hermione."

Goyle walked past Draco to the front door, "good luck Draco. Bye."

"Bye and thanks."

Goyle nodded and left.

Draco wasn't surprised to see Narcissa standing behind him, "I think maybe you should skip tomorrow and go talk to her now."

Draco nodded, "I would if I knew where she was."

"Harry's house."

"How…?"

Narcissa interrupted him, "Ginny called this morning."

Draco laughed, he should have known. He grabbed his coat and apparated to Godric's Hollow.

xXx

Draco took a deep breath before knocking on the Potters' door. He didn't have long to wait. The door opened…but he couldn't see anyone, "hello?"

"Uncle Draco!"

He looked down, "James," he picked him up, "how've you been?"

James shrugged, "fine."

"James I thought I told you not to open the door…oh Draco, come in." Ginny closed the door behind them and tried to take James from him. The little boy shook his head and held on to Draco's neck tighter, "I promise, James, that if you come with mummy now, I'll let you go back to Draco later, " he still shook his head, "it will only be for a little bit."

Draco laughed and mimed "bribery works," to her. He turned James to face him, "I promise that if you go with mummy now then when she brings you back I'll take you out for sweets and toys."

"Really?"

"Really."

James held his arms out for Ginny to take, "last time you took him out for sweets, he wouldn't sleep for days. If it happens again you'll pay, "she said as she took James in her arms.

"Do you want me to take Albus too? I'll be glad to."

"No," Ginny and James said at the same time, though James' sounded angrier.

"Just James will do, I doubt you'll listen to the threat and I won't be able to handle two hyperactive boys," she gestured to the lounge, "Hermione's in there, good luck."

Draco waited till Ginny was gone before he opened the door. He closed it loud enough for her to hear him but not enough to scare her. She turned around, "hey."

"Hi."

"Gin said you would come but I was too scared to believe her."

"We have to talk. Calmly this time," he said.

"OK," she agreed.

Draco sat down next to her, "I'm not possessive. I don't need to know where you are and what you're doing every minute of every day OK?" Hermione nodded, "But it would be nice to see you more than I do now. We used to be spend all day together and now it's seems you're never there. It's gotten to the point where it feels like you're my roommate rather than my girlfriend and I don't want that."

"I don't want that either," Hermione whispered.

"Good. And I'm so sorry not only for what I did to the house but for what I said to you. I didn't mean it," Draco took her hand,

"Maybe you didn't, but I thought about it and wondered if you were right and I just didn't realise."

"I wasn't right." Draco kissed the back of her hand, "I love you."

Hermione smiled, "I love you too."

Draco leaned back into the sofa, "we'll have to show this memory to Blaise and Harry. It's proof that I can have a mature conversation like an adult. It's just Theo who can't. Then again, Harry's probably listening," they heard footsteps move away from the door and Ginny laughing.

"We should go back to our apartment; it needs fixing."

Draco shook his head, "I was thinking maybe we should move. Start again; new neighbours, new furniture. A house instead of an apartment with more bedrooms so the boys can stay," he said referring to James, Albus and, Hermione knew, Teddy Lupin as well.

Hermione had another idea for extra bedrooms, "the extra rooms can be for the boys but they would have to share."

"Only if they all stayed at once, there's three of them."

"Soon to be four."

"What? You?"

Hermione nodded, "I found out a couple of days ago and I've been trying to find a way to tell you. I'm almost two months along. No one else knows, I wanted you to be first."

Draco pulled her to him and kissed her, "this is amazing," he whispered against her lips. He was about to kiss her again when he realised something and pulled back.

"What is it?"

Draco looked at her, "you do realise that just the thought of her having a grandchild out of wedlock would give my parents heart attacks?"

Hermione scoffed, "if that was a proposal, it sucked."

Draco laughed, "it wasn't a proposal," he got down on one knee in front of Hermione, "this is." He went onto his pocket and pulled out a small box, "I've had this in my pocket for about a week now and this seems to be the perfect time to ask. I love you so much and I would be honoured if you would accept this proposal and become my wife. Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"

Hermione cried again, this time happy tears, "yes," she whispered.

Draco grinned and kissed her again, "just so you know, when we tell my mum she make us get married before the baby is born."

"I figured that out before after your horrible non-proposal. I think we should have a small wedding with just family and close friends before the baby's born and we can plan and have a big 'proper' wedding after the baby, because if we don't our mothers and Ginny will be very disappointed," Hermione reasoned.

Draco thought, "we'll see about the second one."

The turned then when they heard raised voices coming from outside, "why can't we go in?"

"They're talking! Leave them Harry!"

"But it's our house!"

"Exactly!" Ginny shouted, "_our_ house, not yours and I'm saying no!"

"I want to go out with Draco now!" James now shouted.

Hermione pulled herself of the couch, then Draco, "come on, our apartment and new houses and babies can wait because you have to do something that is so much more important right now - entertain the noisy four year old outside."

"You're coming with me."

"Of course, I'll be with you for better or for worse, till death do us part won't I?"

"And don't you forget it."

Hermione laughed and opened the door. All at once the shouting ceased, congratulations were given and James jumped on Draco with only just catching him and lifting him up.

"Can we go now?"

Draco nodded, "yeah, we can go."

"I want him back in an hour with only a few sweets and one toy."

Draco gave another suggestion, "how about we bring him back in the morning that way I will be the one dealing with the sugar overload and well I can't make any promises about the amount of toys."

Ginny was about to argue but Harry cut her off, "I like that plus it's good practise for the soon to be parents. And why can't they take Albus," his voice turned to a whisper, "we haven't had a night alone in ages."

"Have a night alone, we will take Albus won't we Draco?"

"Sure, I did offer."

Harry grinned, "good this can be instead of me killing you," he said while giving Draco the boys' bags.

Ginny gasped, "you packed the boys' bags? You planned this?"

Harry smirked at her, "I'm friends with Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott; I learnt a few things and I always plan ahead," he turned to the others, Draco carrying James and Hermione carrying Albus, "have a nice night."

Draco nodded, "say good bye boys, lets go." The boys waved and said good bye to Harry and Ginny.

As they were walking out the door James turned to Draco, "can we go back to your house in Malibu?"

While Draco was talking to James, Hermione turned to Harry and Ginny. Ginny had her face in her hands while Harry was staring at them, his mouth open in shock. "Draco lets go. Now." She would explain later. "So, muggle London or Diagon Alley?"


End file.
